Telephone & Data Systems Inc.'s (TDS) fourth-quarter profit
rose 24% as its U.S. Cellular Corp.'s (USM) profit edged higher
even as the carrier again lost subscribers.
U.S. Cellular has been losing postpaid subscribers amid
increasing competition in a wireless industry nearly saturated with
cellphones. Big carriers have continued to add subscribers on the
strength of marquee handsets.
TDS reported a profit of $14.5 million, or 14 cents a share, up
from $11.7 million, or 11 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue
edged up 0.3% to $1.27 billion.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently expected
earnings of 22 cents on $1.28 billion in revenue.
TDS's Madison, Wis.-based telecommunications business, TDS
Telecom, saw revenue rise 0.5% and profit fall 3.8%. Companywide,
physical access lines fell 5.3% from a year earlier and 1.8% from
the prior quarter.
Meanwhile, U.S. Cellular posted a profit of $6.8 million, up
from $6.6 million a year earlier. Per-share earnings were flat at 8
cents. Revenue edged up 0.3% to $1.06 billion.
Analysts most recently predicted earnings of 22 cents on $1.07
billion in revenue.
The carrier, which operates in 26 states, said it lost a net
31,000 customers during the period, compared with prior-year gains
of 10,000. It ended 2010 with about 6.1 million customers, 1.1%
lower than a year earlier.
Retail average revenue per user rose to $47.41 from $47.07 and
retail postpaid churn--or turnover rate--improved to 1.5% from
1.6%.
Shares of TDS and U.S. Cellular closed Wednesday at $32.65 and
$46.71, respectively, and both were inactive premarket.
-By Matt Jarzemsky and Nathan Becker, Dow Jones Newswires;
212-416-2240; matthew.jarzemsky@dowjones.com